I think the factory in the centre of the image made embroidery and was very famous early last century. I cant remember the name but there is a exhibit in the Williamson art gallery at the moment about it. It looks like there is an allotment behind it or something. Maybe this helps??



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Illchester Sqaure - The Dock Cottages
The Blood Tub - Birkenhead North Endf

One of my Aunties worked there
I will try and get the name to add to the thread.

I'm pretty sure it was Arthur Lee & Sons

Spot on thats the one! Made Tapestry for all the big liners in the docks as I remembers from the musuem! Cheers Chris

Now i didn't know that

Nice one

A classmate's mother worked in Lees Works. Went with him to see his mother at work on one of the many looms. Never heard such a noise in all my tender years! Some of the women were using sign language as conversation was out of the question!

I was quite glad to get out of the place. Ear defenders, ear plugs, sound deadening materials ho.ho.ho. In your dreams baby!!

Work your tripe out 'till bloody hooter goes !!

My friend Mally's mum used to be Caretaker at Lee's Tapestry works.. He was actually born in the bungalow which was next to the works.. I'll ask for some information.

Good book for you lot called 'Up our lobby' all about the north end and life in the dock cottages by Bill Houldin (surname may be slightly different).
http://www.garry.mumford.com/msg58a.htm

ha ha just started reading the book

ok boys and girls who remembers any one working here, it was on kwik saves site (probably different, since bankrupsy) and this was on the road from st james church roundabout going over the penny bridge. not sure of road name. loads of lass's worked here and the odd bloke and these were well classy tapestries that they used to sell to the sultans, and kings and rich people all over the world, sometimes the sold them to argos (the god of pointless queing) actually the argos bit is bollox but the rest is true

this picture actually shows the tapestry works in the foreground





These Topics may be of an interest too.
Illchester Sqaure - The Dock Cottages
The Blood Tub - Birkenhead North Endf

Lee's tapestry works is/was on stanley road in the North End im still waiting for my uncle to give me more information as he was born there as his mother was head Caretaker hes trying to ask around but its like asking for a miricle when you ask my uncle heh! hes one of those that takes years.. But as soon as i know you'll know Sorry its taken so long as i forgot i mentioned on the other thread id ask so its both of our faults lol. But its wierd the fact my uncle was born there heh!

Any news lee?

My mum worked at Lee's after she left School during the 60's she embroidered cussions for the Whitehouse there. I'll pick her brain for info when I see her =)

Hi all,

My mum worked at the Lees Tapestries and they did produce work for Royalty and many Worldwide customers.

My mum told me that they had drama and musical performances which the staff got involved in. My mum took part and sang and acted in these shows.

Sadly my mum has died last year but she would be thrilled to know that people are interested in the old tapestry works. She was always proud of the work that she produced and helped to produce.

I had a girlfriend working there in the '60's, she used to travel from nearly Rock Ferry by bus. I remember picking her up one time on my scooter and took her home. She was very surprised as "us upper class Tranmere/Prenton people" would not be seen dead in the North End.

Dave Miller

LOL, don't know if you can describe Tranmere as "upper class": Prenton, yes. I lived near the Rovers' ground, just off Borough Rd. It was definitely Tranmere, or Upper Tranmere if you like, but my mum, who was a bit of a snob, always claimed we were in Prenton.

Not sure if this has already surfaced.

"A TAPESTRY firm which turned Birkenhead into an unlikely style capital for 60 years is being celebrated in a new exhibition.

Arthur H Lee and Sons tapestry works produced groundbreaking textiles and fabrics which decorated some of the world’s most beautiful rooms.

A century after it opened in Birkenhead, Williamson Art Gallery is hosting A Textile Dynasty – Arthur H Lee and Sons, 1908 -1970.

Colin Simpson, Wirral council’s head of museums, said: “The tapestry works was an important employer in the town up to 1970, exporting unique designs in unrivalled quality all across the world.

“We are hoping people with family connections will enjoy this tribute to their work. There will also be plenty to interest needlework and interior design fans.”

Commissions included hangings with millions of stitches, and one 32ft example will be on show at the Balls Road gallery."
Source: Echo

The exhibition runs from 2 December 2008 - 29 March 2009

The gallery is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10.00am - 5.00pm. Monday closed.

had a look at this on wedensday,very interesting,i did not know this place(lee's) existed until i joined this forum.i am learning so much about the local area,its great

yeah and it'll be nothing but history when they knock what remains of it down at the kwik save site. I remember there used to be a little plaque on the wall down there - not sure if it told you that was the site or it was actually a piece of original signage from the works.

My husband's aunty remembers going on holiday with the Lee family when she was a little girl - she's in her late 70s now. I think her family must have been quite well-to-do - her father - husband's grandfather was a respected doctor at Southampton General. There's even a plaque there to commemorate his service to the hospital! I digress lol

We did all the exhibition work for that just before christmas, non of us new of the company before that.

probable the last exhibition the council will ever do the way things are going.

I'm looking forward to a wander. I hear they made carpets for rich Arab families and furnished the Titanic? Is that true? I nearly got a book in the library today - doh!

I don't know if anyone is interested but ...

I believe that the Williamsons art gallery on Balls road is holding an major exhibition to do with the old Lees' tapestry works that used to be on Stanley road.

Its running till March 29th.

They are indeed, i did the big prints for the exhibition.

Hi
We got the flyer for this exhibition in the post from my husband's aunty. She lives in Leeds and came down to see the exhibition. She didn't actually visit us lol I don't think she realised that we live 10 minutes away. Anyway, she wrote on a post-it that we are related by marriage to the Lee family. My husband's great-nan's niece, who's name was Honour, married Chris Lee (not sure where he figured in the family).
She also mentioned that the Lee family were Quakers and she remembers seeing them regularly on family holidays to the Lake District.
I find it quite amusing that my husband's family were on one side of Stanley Road as part of this Lee family dynasty, while my side of the family were living on the other side of the road in the Dock Cottages as a blacksmith and his wife with 4 kids.

been very good!

Last week (3/7/09) I found a picture of the very Dock Cottage that my mother and her sister were born in. Block D Flat 4. What a grim place it looked. At the same time I found a photo on one of these sites of a group of ladies working at Lees Tapestry works. Mums elder sister worked there and I felt sure she was in the photo. Blow me this week I tried to find the photo again and I cant! Help. How long is the exhibition on for as I will be visitng the area at the end of the month.(from Essex)

Sorry Jorja, the exhibition is long finished. I'm pretty sure the Williamson still has some Lees stuff though.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/voices/bhead.shtml

This site has some audio about peoples memory of the North End.

my mum had her wedding reception there,got her a book about it so i will ask her if i can borrow it ,

Is this the picture your looking for.

book called lee's tapestry works by alan johnson and kevin moore
gives you imformation and some pictures starting from 1908-1970 when it closed

Don't know what happend to my post!
But I mentioned that my uncle worked there.

my wife remembers a man and his daughter working there in the 50's or early 60's.the daughter worked in the offices and he worked in the factory.he fell into one of the vats and died.they lived in vulcan street